diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/sw-clock.c b/tools/perf/tests/sw-clock.c
index 1aa21c90731b..5b83f56a3b6f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/sw-clock.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/sw-clock.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ static int __test__sw_clock_freq(enum perf_sw_ids clock_id)
 		.disabled = 1,
 		.freq = 1,
 	};
+	struct cpu_map *cpus;
+	struct thread_map *threads;
 
 	attr.sample_freq = 500;
 
@@ -50,14 +52,19 @@ static int __test__sw_clock_freq(enum perf_sw_ids clock_id)
 	}
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
 
-	evlist->cpus = cpu_map__dummy_new();
-	evlist->threads = thread_map__new_by_tid(getpid());
-	if (!evlist->cpus || !evlist->threads) {
+	cpus = cpu_map__dummy_new();
+	threads = thread_map__new_by_tid(getpid());
+	if (!cpus || !threads) {
 		err = -ENOMEM;
 		pr_debug("Not enough memory to create thread/cpu maps\n");
-		goto out_delete_evlist;
+		goto out_free_maps;
 	}
 
+	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
+
+	cpus	= NULL;
+	threads = NULL;
+
 	if (perf_evlist__open(evlist)) {
 		const char *knob = "/proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_max_sample_rate";
 
@@ -107,6 +114,9 @@ next_event:
 		err = -1;
 	}
 
+out_free_maps:
+	cpu_map__put(cpus);
+	thread_map__put(threads);
 out_delete_evlist:
 	perf_evlist__delete(evlist);
 	return err;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c b/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
index 3a8fedef83bc..add16385f13e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ int test__task_exit(void)
 	};
 	const char *argv[] = { "true", NULL };
 	char sbuf[STRERR_BUFSIZE];
+	struct cpu_map *cpus;
+	struct thread_map *threads;
 
 	signal(SIGCHLD, sig_handler);
 
@@ -58,14 +60,19 @@ int test__task_exit(void)
 	 * perf_evlist__prepare_workload we'll fill in the only thread
 	 * we're monitoring, the one forked there.
 	 */
-	evlist->cpus = cpu_map__dummy_new();
-	evlist->threads = thread_map__new_by_tid(-1);
-	if (!evlist->cpus || !evlist->threads) {
+	cpus = cpu_map__dummy_new();
+	threads = thread_map__new_by_tid(-1);
+	if (!cpus || !threads) {
 		err = -ENOMEM;
 		pr_debug("Not enough memory to create thread/cpu maps\n");
-		goto out_delete_evlist;
+		goto out_free_maps;
 	}
 
+	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
+
+	cpus	= NULL;
+	threads = NULL;
+
 	err = perf_evlist__prepare_workload(evlist, &target, argv, false,
 					    workload_exec_failed_signal);
 	if (err < 0) {
@@ -114,6 +121,9 @@ retry:
 		err = -1;
 	}
 
+out_free_maps:
+	cpu_map__put(cpus);
+	thread_map__put(threads);
 out_delete_evlist:
 	perf_evlist__delete(evlist);
 	return err;
diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
index 380e9080991e..e1f28f4cdc8e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
@@ -2017,7 +2017,8 @@ skip_annotation:
 					  &options[nr_options], dso);
 		nr_options += add_map_opt(browser, &actions[nr_options],
 					  &options[nr_options],
-					  browser->selection->map);
+					  browser->selection ?
+						browser->selection->map : NULL);
 		nr_options += add_socket_opt(browser, &actions[nr_options],
 					     &options[nr_options],
 					     socked_id);
@@ -2027,6 +2028,15 @@ skip_annotation:
 						     &actions[nr_options],
 						     &options[nr_options],
 						     thread, NULL);
+			/*
+			 * Note that browser->selection != NULL
+			 * when browser->he_selection is not NULL,
+			 * so we don't need to check browser->selection
+			 * before fetching browser->selection->sym like what
+			 * we do before fetching browser->selection->map.
+			 *
+			 * See hist_browser__show_entry.
+			 */
 			nr_options += add_script_opt(browser,
 						     &actions[nr_options],
 						     &options[nr_options],
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 3cb2bf9bd4bd..a8643735dcea 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -125,6 +125,33 @@ void perf_evlist__delete(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 	free(evlist);
 }
 
+static void __perf_evlist__propagate_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+					  struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+{
+	/*
+	 * We already have cpus for evsel (via PMU sysfs) so
+	 * keep it, if there's no target cpu list defined.
+	 */
+	if (!evsel->own_cpus || evlist->has_user_cpus) {
+		cpu_map__put(evsel->cpus);
+		evsel->cpus = cpu_map__get(evlist->cpus);
+	} else if (evsel->cpus != evsel->own_cpus) {
+		cpu_map__put(evsel->cpus);
+		evsel->cpus = cpu_map__get(evsel->own_cpus);
+	}
+
+	thread_map__put(evsel->threads);
+	evsel->threads = thread_map__get(evlist->threads);
+}
+
+static void perf_evlist__propagate_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+
+	evlist__for_each(evlist, evsel)
+		__perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, evsel);
+}
+
 void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *entry)
 {
 	entry->evlist = evlist;
@@ -134,18 +161,19 @@ void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *entry)
 
 	if (!evlist->nr_entries++)
 		perf_evlist__set_id_pos(evlist);
+
+	__perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, entry);
 }
 
 void perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
-				   struct list_head *list,
-				   int nr_entries)
+				   struct list_head *list)
 {
-	bool set_id_pos = !evlist->nr_entries;
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel, *temp;
 
-	list_splice_tail(list, &evlist->entries);
-	evlist->nr_entries += nr_entries;
-	if (set_id_pos)
-		perf_evlist__set_id_pos(evlist);
+	__evlist__for_each_safe(list, temp, evsel) {
+		list_del_init(&evsel->node);
+		perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
+	}
 }
 
 void __perf_evlist__set_leader(struct list_head *list)
@@ -211,7 +239,7 @@ static int perf_evlist__add_attrs(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 		list_add_tail(&evsel->node, &head);
 	}
 
-	perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(evlist, &head, nr_attrs);
+	perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(evlist, &head);
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -1104,71 +1132,56 @@ int perf_evlist__mmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist, unsigned int pages,
 	return perf_evlist__mmap_ex(evlist, pages, overwrite, 0, false);
 }
 
-static int perf_evlist__propagate_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
-				       bool has_user_cpus)
-{
-	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
-
-	evlist__for_each(evlist, evsel) {
-		/*
-		 * We already have cpus for evsel (via PMU sysfs) so
-		 * keep it, if there's no target cpu list defined.
-		 */
-		if (evsel->cpus && has_user_cpus)
-			cpu_map__put(evsel->cpus);
-
-		if (!evsel->cpus || has_user_cpus)
-			evsel->cpus = cpu_map__get(evlist->cpus);
-
-		evsel->threads = thread_map__get(evlist->threads);
-
-		if ((evlist->cpus && !evsel->cpus) ||
-		    (evlist->threads && !evsel->threads))
-			return -ENOMEM;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int perf_evlist__create_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct target *target)
 {
-	evlist->threads = thread_map__new_str(target->pid, target->tid,
-					      target->uid);
+	struct cpu_map *cpus;
+	struct thread_map *threads;
 
-	if (evlist->threads == NULL)
+	threads = thread_map__new_str(target->pid, target->tid, target->uid);
+
+	if (!threads)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (target__uses_dummy_map(target))
-		evlist->cpus = cpu_map__dummy_new();
+		cpus = cpu_map__dummy_new();
 	else
-		evlist->cpus = cpu_map__new(target->cpu_list);
+		cpus = cpu_map__new(target->cpu_list);
 
-	if (evlist->cpus == NULL)
+	if (!cpus)
 		goto out_delete_threads;
 
-	return perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, !!target->cpu_list);
+	evlist->has_user_cpus = !!target->cpu_list;
+
+	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
+
+	return 0;
 
 out_delete_threads:
-	thread_map__put(evlist->threads);
-	evlist->threads = NULL;
+	thread_map__put(threads);
 	return -1;
 }
 
-int perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
-			  struct cpu_map *cpus,
-			  struct thread_map *threads)
+void perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct cpu_map *cpus,
+			   struct thread_map *threads)
 {
-	if (evlist->cpus)
+	/*
+	 * Allow for the possibility that one or another of the maps isn't being
+	 * changed i.e. don't put it.  Note we are assuming the maps that are
+	 * being applied are brand new and evlist is taking ownership of the
+	 * original reference count of 1.  If that is not the case it is up to
+	 * the caller to increase the reference count.
+	 */
+	if (cpus != evlist->cpus) {
 		cpu_map__put(evlist->cpus);
+		evlist->cpus = cpus;
+	}
 
-	evlist->cpus = cpus;
-
-	if (evlist->threads)
+	if (threads != evlist->threads) {
 		thread_map__put(evlist->threads);
+		evlist->threads = threads;
+	}
 
-	evlist->threads = threads;
-
-	return perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, false);
+	perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist);
 }
 
 int perf_evlist__apply_filters(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel **err_evsel)
@@ -1388,6 +1401,8 @@ void perf_evlist__close(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 
 static int perf_evlist__create_syswide_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
+	struct cpu_map	  *cpus;
+	struct thread_map *threads;
 	int err = -ENOMEM;
 
 	/*
@@ -1399,20 +1414,19 @@ static int perf_evlist__create_syswide_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 	 * error, and we may not want to do that fallback to a
 	 * default cpu identity map :-\
 	 */
-	evlist->cpus = cpu_map__new(NULL);
-	if (evlist->cpus == NULL)
+	cpus = cpu_map__new(NULL);
+	if (!cpus)
 		goto out;
 
-	evlist->threads = thread_map__new_dummy();
-	if (evlist->threads == NULL)
-		goto out_free_cpus;
+	threads = thread_map__new_dummy();
+	if (!threads)
+		goto out_put;
 
-	err = 0;
+	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
 out:
 	return err;
-out_free_cpus:
-	cpu_map__put(evlist->cpus);
-	evlist->cpus = NULL;
+out_put:
+	cpu_map__put(cpus);
 	goto out;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index b39a6198f4ac..115d8b53c601 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct perf_evlist {
 	int		 nr_mmaps;
 	bool		 overwrite;
 	bool		 enabled;
+	bool		 has_user_cpus;
 	size_t		 mmap_len;
 	int		 id_pos;
 	int		 is_pos;
@@ -155,9 +156,8 @@ int perf_evlist__enable_event_idx(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 void perf_evlist__set_selected(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 			       struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 
-int perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
-			  struct cpu_map *cpus,
-			  struct thread_map *threads);
+void perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct cpu_map *cpus,
+			   struct thread_map *threads);
 int perf_evlist__create_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct target *target);
 int perf_evlist__apply_filters(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel **err_evsel);
 
@@ -179,8 +179,7 @@ bool perf_evlist__valid_sample_id_all(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 bool perf_evlist__valid_read_format(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 
 void perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
-				   struct list_head *list,
-				   int nr_entries);
+				   struct list_head *list);
 
 static inline struct perf_evsel *perf_evlist__first(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 6b5d1b509148..58890044d835 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -1043,6 +1043,7 @@ void perf_evsel__exit(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 	perf_evsel__free_config_terms(evsel);
 	close_cgroup(evsel->cgrp);
 	cpu_map__put(evsel->cpus);
+	cpu_map__put(evsel->own_cpus);
 	thread_map__put(evsel->threads);
 	zfree(&evsel->group_name);
 	zfree(&evsel->name);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index 62ab307b7306..7906666580da 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ struct perf_evsel {
 	struct cgroup_sel	*cgrp;
 	void			*handler;
 	struct cpu_map		*cpus;
+	struct cpu_map		*own_cpus;
 	struct thread_map	*threads;
 	unsigned int		sample_size;
 	int			id_pos;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index 6d8fa543dcff..43838003c1a1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@ static int process_nrcpus(struct perf_file_section *section __maybe_unused,
 	if (ph->needs_swap)
 		nr = bswap_32(nr);
 
-	ph->env.nr_cpus_online = nr;
+	ph->env.nr_cpus_avail = nr;
 
 	ret = readn(fd, &nr, sizeof(nr));
 	if (ret != sizeof(nr))
@@ -1440,7 +1440,7 @@ static int process_nrcpus(struct perf_file_section *section __maybe_unused,
 	if (ph->needs_swap)
 		nr = bswap_32(nr);
 
-	ph->env.nr_cpus_avail = nr;
+	ph->env.nr_cpus_online = nr;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index d3fb90be6216..0fde5293a38e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -288,8 +288,8 @@ __add_event(struct list_head *list, int *idx,
 	if (!evsel)
 		return NULL;
 
-	if (cpus)
-		evsel->cpus = cpu_map__get(cpus);
+	evsel->cpus     = cpu_map__get(cpus);
+	evsel->own_cpus = cpu_map__get(cpus);
 
 	if (name)
 		evsel->name = strdup(name);
@@ -1174,10 +1174,9 @@ int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str,
 	ret = parse_events__scanner(str, &data, PE_START_EVENTS);
 	perf_pmu__parse_cleanup();
 	if (!ret) {
-		int entries = data.idx - evlist->nr_entries;
 		struct perf_evsel *last;
 
-		perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(evlist, &data.list, entries);
+		perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(evlist, &data.list);
 		evlist->nr_groups += data.nr_groups;
 		last = perf_evlist__last(evlist);
 		last->cmdline_group_boundary = true;